Bookstand



April 1945- P. J. BRENNAN 2,374,409

sooxsmtm Filed April 21, 1944 m "mw I'IUIIL I INVENTOR.

Patented Apr. 24, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT gOFFlCEh BOOKSTAND PatrickJ. Brennan, Bay City, Mich.; Ellen Gallagher administratrix of theestate of said Brennan, deceased Application April 21, 1944, Serial No.532,167 Claims. (01. 45 s0) This invention relates to bookstands, andmore particularly to a bookstand for holding books and other readinmaterial in open position and at the proper degree of inclination tofacilitate reading the same.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to design a bookstand whichis especially adaptable for use by students in schools and educationalinstitutions in general, and by means of which the book, or other sheetsof reading matter, may be so supported and held, that the reader may situpright, with shoulders back in easy, restful position, promotingcorrect posture, minimizing body fatigue and eye strain which occurswhen the book or material is laid fiat on a desk or table.

Another object is to provide a balanced bookstand which lends itself toquantity production, which is of substantial construction, whichrequires a minimum of materials to construct, and which is very easy andeconomical to manufacture and assemble.

A further object is to provide a bookstand which is of approximately thesame marginal dimensions as the textbooks in daily use by students, andbooks used by the general public, and provide horizontally extensiblemeans associated with the bookstand, said means being easily and quicklyextensible for supporting sheet music or other papers of greatermarginal dimensions than the textbooks, and further serving as a claspfor securing the base and backrest together when the structure is incollapsed position.

Still a further object is to design a bookstand including means forholding the leaves of the book in open position, and which can bereadily swung back to permit the leaves to be turned when desired.

A further object still is to design a bookstand in which the legs areformed from the backrest, and in which the leg reinforcing andconnecting strip is cut from the base, making for very substantial andeconomical construction.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understoodthat changes may bemade in the form, size, proportion and minor detailsof construction, without depart;- ing from the spirit, or sacrificingany of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing: 7

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my bookstand in set-up position for use;

Fig. 2 is an edge view showing a book in position thereon;

Fig. 3 is also an edge view illustrating the bookstand collapsed;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, front elevational view showing theextensible members;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of the backrest and leg structure;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, part sectional, front viewillustrating the page holding means; and,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional plan view of the backrestand extensible means.

The structure is designed primarily for use in the school rooms andinstitutions of learning, but it will be understood that it is equallyuseful and desirable for use in the home and in public institutions ingeneral.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing in which I have shown thepreferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 8 indicates the baseof the bookstand, and this can be formed of any desired material, but Ifind it both economical and satisfactory to form it of cardboard, thecenter section being cut away as shown at 9, so that the cut out sectionmay be used in the construction of the remainder of the structure, andas will be hereinafter described.

Corrugated strips or sections Ill are provided hingedly connected at itsupper end to the main body of the backrest by an adhesively securedstrip I4, the lower ends of the legs being connected and tied togetherby an elongated strip l5, thus forming a substantial balanced legstrucdegree of inclination of the backrest can be determined andmaintained by the engagement of the free ends of the legs l3 with theteeth I! formed by the corrugations I 0.

A supporting shelf I8 is hingedly secured to the lower edge of thebackrest by means of an adhesively secured fabric strip l9, this stripbeing on the upper face of the shelf as shown, so that the shelf can beswung upwardly when the structure is folded, and as clearly shown inFig. 3, and further so that the flat edge of the shelf butts solidlyagainst the backrest when the shelf is swung ,down A foldable leg ,20;is provided on the lower face of the shelf l8 and serves toreinforce theshelf when in its open position.

A lip 2| is hingedly connected to the outer free.

edges of the shelf 18 by an adhesive stripIZ, the strip being on theupper face so that the lip can be swung upwardly andlin, a; weight 23;being inserted i a, pocket-'fl pro'vided on the inlbroken lines Fig,2rjof the, drawing, so, that the pages can be freely turhedg and,the,jlip" is then swung back to original positionrthis is veryefiective and convenient and prevents accidental turning of the pages. lv

Extensible members ZS'fareYprovided on 'the back face of thebackre'st'lZ and adjaeentthe upper, edge thereof, and a e; designed. tosupport sheet music or pamphlets (not s own! offlarser ma ina ime icnfih a h ba k est; a pogket .lfirbein g provided on e back est and inwhich the, members 25 are slidabl Qm' unted, g the i, outer end of eachmember 25 beingtuhrigid asiat,. 2fl,rto form, a, clasp; and whenthefbooks'tandft isgbo1- lapsed, these turned, ends f2] ovei;. the}edges of the base l0, thus locking the backrest a'ndfthe base togetherin folded position, and forming a ht com t-bund e lav hi h. i at e amearanal. di n a he teixl a cl extboo s? a 1 1a- ,l -y beeesvi y' andWarsaw and adjusted; 7 e

he, fact tha t thellip. 2] is, weighted ,a'ndf is normally disposedinwardly nsures tne, page's be ng etain dx P 19116 psitibntanqbrewe is-the l i ll bwb iQ ha fih a i l of nc in t on h re d ng mat s-c nheajusted .to a suit the readerfs equ r m m mm h el r en g s i g rt etrearbend nspe m mmp ditieln i b; the ye ew? F t a a v arp an e rom: the o eo ng pt 0n 1: e i! appa nt ihatw h i tedt. simple, substantial, andrelatively inexpensive bookstand; for supporting books, pam -phlets'-end 'reedingtma te w ll i ,whatl claim-iszy r 1.

1., A,fol dagbl .bopkste diconm "mes-ga f ntledee of 2,374,409 T a i thebase member and foldabl snugly against the base when the structure is infolded position, legs cut from the side edges of the backrest andhingedly secured thereto in original position, said legs being foldablewith the backrest a forwardly projecting shelf hingedly connected to thebachest and foldable against the backrest, and a hingedly connectedfoldable lip on said book shelf and forming a flat extension of theshelf when the bookstand is folded.

2. A foldable bookstand comprising a flat base, a backrest hingedlyconnected to the front edge of the base, legs cut from the sides of,said backrestand hingedly connected in original position, at theirupper ends to said backrest, a plurality of 'spaced apart teeth formedon said base for engagement by said legs, a horizontally disposedreinforcing strip connecting said legs at a, point intermediate theirlength, a shelf on the backrestand havinga lip hingedly connected to thefree end-thereof, and adjustable means on the upper edge of saidbackrest and engageable with said base to secure the parts in collapsedposition when the bookstand is folded.

, 3. A foldable bookstand, comprising, atbase, teeth (provided on andadjacent the 'sid'ed'ge's of the base,' a backrest jhingedlysecuredflt'Q' the forward edge of thebase, legs out from the, op positesides of the backrestand' hineedly'con nected, at the upper ends, tosaid backi'estgtwlth their lowerends detachably engaging said j teeth, abook shelf hingedly connected to thefiac'of the backrest,' and ajweighted lip hingedly connected ,to the outer ed'e'elthereof'. I l' 4. Afoldable bookrestjf of the character .described, comprising ,.a; base,teeth provided, there} on, a backresthingedlylsecuredjto vtheforiijaniedge of the base, legfs'cutfirdxh the sidesfldges vof the backrest Yan'dhingedlyconn'ected thereto with the lo'we'rends eng'ageable with saidteeth,

, a-book,sl1elf hingedly secured to the facejof gthe jof vcorrugationsformii teeth, ,adiacenththelside edges thereof, a baekrest hingedlyconnected -to the forward edge ,of; the base; legs ,cut. from the sideedges of the backrest and hingedlyisecured, at their upper ends to,saidhackrest; a stripico'n meeting the lower ,ends of .the legs ,tot,form ;a unitary structure] a .booki shelf hingedl'y co nheated to theIaceof the backrest, a lip hingedly connected to :thefree .edge vof theshelf and. norm lly-. v rhangir g aid Shelf, and; ya hingedly Conn-Quadleg deh i a d nerma l bee -i s against. the.'backrest when the shelf 5is in position tosupporta book) PATRICK J. BRENNAN;

